The Zenith STOL CH 701 made us all proud in 2021!Watch and listen as Zenith Aircraft's Roger Dubbert explains why the CH 701 grabbed so many headlines this year, as he takes you flying in his own personal STOL CH 701 "Sky Jeep."
As STOL (short take-off and landing) competitions and demonstrations have gained in popularity over the years, so has the recognition of the STOL CH 701's capabilities.
Here's a quick summary of the STOL CH 701 victories over this past year:
1. New Zealand Bush Pilot Championships
At the beginning of the year in New Zealand, Deane Philip and his STOL CH 701 took first place finish at the 2021 New Zealand Bush Pilot Championships. Deane won the national event with both the shortest take-off and shortest landing in his Zenith STOL CH 701 (powered by a 130-hp Viking 130 engine).
Fellow STOL CH 701 pilot Hamish Crowe finished in second place in his Rotax-powered Zenith, and tied First Place in the precision landing competition at the national New Zealand event.
2. STOL Drag 2021 World Championship at the High Sierra Fly-In
Jon Hakala won the Bronze class in the STOL Drag 2021 World Championship at the High Sierra Fly-In in October, flying his Rotax-powered Zenith STOL CH 701.
3. National STOL series competition in Lakeland, Florida
Jon Humberd was the Overall Winner with the shortest combined takeoff and landing distance at the Central Florida Classic STOL event earlier in December at the Sun 'n Fun Holiday Fly-In Festival. His winning combined takeoff and landing distance (behind the line) was just 159 feet (in no wind warm Florida conditions).
Humberd won the very competitive national event flying his now famous "Super 701" (a stock kit-built STOL CH 701 powered by a 130-hp UL Power engine). He had a busy (and successful!) year flying his CH 701 at various STOL events and competitions: Humberd was invited to demonstrate short take-offs and landings at EAA Oshkosh AirVenture's popular "Twilight STOL" event, and check out this winning short takeoff and landing from Calhoun, Georgia, in October.
What makes the above victories most notable is that they were all won in "stock" aircraft (as much as there can be "stock" in one-of-a-kind amateur-built aircraft) with different engines, ranging from the standard 100-hp Rotax 912 ULS to higher-powered UL Power (130-hp UL350iS) to custom automotive conversions (Viking's Honda engine). Furthermore, the victories highlighted above were in different environments, from sea-level STOL to High Sierra STOL-Drag racing (at altitude). In most, if not all, cases, the winning Zeniths were significantly lower cost airplanes than their competitors.
A little history about the STOL CH 701: First introduced in 1986, the CH 701 aircraft was developed as an “off-airport” short take-off and landing kit aircraft to fulfill the demanding requirements of both sport pilots and first-time builders. With the STOL CH 701, designer Chris Heintz combined the features and advantages of a “real” airplane with the short-field capabilities of an “ultralight” aircraft. The aircraft features fixed leading-edge slats for high lift, full-span flaperons (both ailerons and flaps), an all-flying rudder, and durable all-metal construction.
While the basic design has remained the same, many significant improvements have been introduced over the years, including a higher useful load, easier and quicker build kits, and more detailed drawings and step-by-step assembly instructions.
The popular Chris Heintz STOL designs include the CH 750 series, made up of the STOL CH 750, the CH 750 Cruzer and the newer STOL CH 750 Super Duty model. The CH 750 series are larger than the original CH 701 to offer more comfort (in a larger cabin), more engine choices and additional capabilities.
Build It. Fly It. In 2022! Getting started on your own aircraft is a lot easier than you think! Get started for just a few hundred dollars! We highly recommend that you attend a hands-on workshop designed specifically to introduce first-time builders to the world of homebuilt kit aircraft. Check out the schedule for the next available workshop.
Zenith Aircraft’s hands-on workshops are designed for first-time kit airplane builders, and are popular with sport aviation enthusiasts who are considering building their own aircraft and want to learn more about the needed skills, tools, and workspace. During the workshop each participant builds and assembles their own Zenith aircraft rudder tail section from a standard Zenith kit. The two-day workshop concludes once participants have successfully completed assembly of their own rudder tail section of the aircraft.
The hands-on workshop makes an excellent getaway for you and your spouse or a friend! Spend a couple of days at the Zenith Aircraft factory and meet with fellow aviation enthusiasts - all while gaining valuable building skills and tips. And don't forget: A demo flight in the Zenith airplane you plan to build is part of the factory workshop experience!
Holiday Hours: We will be closed Friday, December 31st for the New Year holiday. We will re-open Monday, January 3rd. Details on visiting the Zenith Aircraft kit factory.
